Guardian: World's food supply under 'severe threat' from loss of biodiversity

Great to see this is the top news on The Guardian today. While we worry about climate change, don't forget that loss of biological diversity is another huge issue. And that does not just mean we should care about rare animals. Our entire food supply depends on too few crops: Two-thirds of crop production comes from just nine species (sugar cane, maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, soybeans, oil-palm fruit, sugar beet and cassava), while many of the remaining 6,000 cultivated plant species are in decline and wild food sources are becoming harder to find. Although consumers did not yet notice any impact when they went shopping, the authors of the report said that could change. “The supermarkets are full of food, but it is mostly imports from other countries and there are not many varieties. The reliance on a small number of species means they are more susceptible to disease outbreaks and climate change. It renders food production less resilient,” warned Julie Bélanger, the coordinator of the report. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/feb/21/worlds-food-supply-under-severe-threat-from-loss-of-biodiversity